The Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees approved the tax rate for the 2017-18 school year, celebrated District business achievements, heard presentations from the Bond Oversight Committee, construction, college and career readiness and approved a pilot program that will remove class rank from student transcripts at Westwood High School.

The Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees approved a $1.3048 tax rate at the regular meeting Thursday night. The approved rate reflects a general operating rate of $1.04 and a $0.2648 rate for debt service, a $0.0277 decrease from the previous year.

The Board also recognized the District for its Superior Rating from the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), earning a perfect score in the rating system developed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to assess the quality of financial management.

The Bond Oversight Committee presented updates including the completion of the Westwood High School Phase 3 renovations and the Round Rock High School Phase 3B addition. Updates were also given on the progress of the McNeil High School Master Plan Phase 1, Cedar Ridge High School Auditorium and locker room facility, the Stony Point High School Auditorium and various capital renewal and replacement projects at various campuses across the District.

Finally, a timeline of the McNeil High School Phase 1 construction was presented to illustrate the progress, delays and future movement for the project.

The Board was provided updates on the college and career readiness data related to accountability and performance.

For the class of 2016, the amount of students assessed for College and Career Readiness stood at 94%, which was at 78% the previous year, and out of those assessed 83% were found to meet the criteria of college and career ready. The growth rates in the amount of AP exams students and exam performance was also reviewed.

Trustees approve pilot program at Westwood High School to exclude class rank from student transcripts

The Round Rock Independent School District Board of Trustees has approved a pilot program for the 2017-18 school year that will remove class rank from student transcripts at Westwood High School, effective October 1.

Responding to concerns from parents that pursuit of class rank is adversely affecting their children’s academic experience — and that the inclusion of rank could potentially hurt a student in the college application process as a result of the unique academic environment of Westwood — Round Rock ISD administration recommended the pilot program at Westwood, which will be reviewed at the end of the school year.

Trustees also approved a recommendation that beginning in the 2018-19 school year, students at other Round Rock ISD high schools could opt out of including class rank on their transcripts.